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By Tony Udemba
It was a joyous and remarkable day for the pupils and staff of Step By Step Montessori School, Ilufe, Ojo, Lagos State, as the school recently celebrated its annual cultural day in a grand style.
The occasion was heralded with a welcome song beautifully rendered in Igbo language by the pupils. This was closely followed with the official entry into the venue by the founder and proprietor of the school, Madam Becky ChinyereOgbuefi, who in a colourful attire danced to the melodious beats of traditional drummers.
In rare chorographic dancing steps reminiscent of professional dancers, the pupils entertained the guests, even as some members of the audience appreciated their performances. The pupils, who danced in distinctive groups, were beautifully kitted in diverse cultural attires of Igbo, Yoruba, South South and Hausa cultures, as well as the Zulu warriors of South Africa.
Speaking at the occasion, Ogbuefi, explained that the essence of the cultural day was to remind Nigerians and the world that the nation has rich cultural and traditional heritage, saying that it was necessary for children to have a deep knowledge of their culture and tradition.
According to her, “today we want the world to know that Nigeria is blessed with rich cultural and traditional heritage. We want our children to know that no matter where they come from, everyone of them comes from a place called home. We want to also let them know that everyone of them comes from a rich cultural background.
And at this early stage of childhood, it becomes imperative for parents and teachers to drum it into their consciousness on the need for them to know the culture and language of their birth.”
She further commended the pupils for their outstanding performance, saying that they were wonderful children whom she would always be proud of at any time. The school proprietor called on the government at all levels to be at the forefront in the promotion of the diverse cultures that abound in the country.
Acknowledging that children were the leaders of tomorrow, Becky spoke about her resolve to support them with prayers at all times.In this school, we are determined to impart them with quality education and sound morals which would make them top achievers in their future pursuits, even as I pray that they will grow up to become great and successful in the society.”
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Leonard Ogbuefi, paid glowing tributes to the management and pupils of the school for the quality of cultural performances displayed, and enjoined their teachers and parents to guide them in order not to forget their cultural and traditional values. According to him.
“I am quite impressed with what we have seen today. In fact the school children have truly entertained everyone here with quality performances. The truth is that I am not surprised about the various talents displayed because of the quality of teachers and the overall high standard of education in this school.”
He stated that culture all over the world depicts the way of life of the people, insisting that it was the primary responsibility of parents to teach their children the language, tradition and cultural heritage of where they come from.
In the same vein, Chief Sunny White Obiakor, gave kudos to the proprietress for the quality of education in the school and also for the outstanding performances exhibited by the children.
He recalled the humble beginning of the school, when its management had to pass through untold hardships and difficulties over the years, but persevered to take the school to greater heights today.
In his words: “ I could recall the turbulent early days of theschool, when the owner of the school and her team had to pass through difficulties, but persevered while working hard. Today, I am happy for the enviable landmark recorded by the school”.
Similarly, Chief Ken Dike noted that since the inception of the school in the area, it has contributed a lot in providing quality education to the young ones, just as he called on parents to continue to support the school in its drive to provide a better learning environment for the children.
He noted that the year’s cultural day was phenomenon as the children gave their very best in the interpretation of various roles given to them, while calling on the government to support the private schools, and to also come up with quality polices that would boost education in the country.
Some of the performances by the pupils include South African dance, cooking traditional food, Onuogugu Igbo, Identification of object in Igbo, Igbo news, Edo cultural dance, Hausa cultural dance, Igbo cultural dance, children moonlight dance, Igbo drama, Achikolo dance and others.
